Geranium plant named ‘Duevidared’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Duevidared’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and bright red-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar ‘Duevidared’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duevidared’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with attractiveflower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in September, 1998, of a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-21-019, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofPelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-05-018, not patented,as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Duevidared was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progenyfrom this cross in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany inSeptember, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingstaken at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2000, has shown that theunique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duevidared’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duevidared’ as a new cultivar and distinguishit from other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Bright red-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection F-21-019, plantsof the new Zonal Geranium are more vigorous and have a brighter redflower color. Compared to plants of the male parent, the selectionF-05-018, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ in flower color.

The new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar ‘HWDVentura’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,747. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new ZonalGeranium differed from plants of the cultivar HWD Ventura in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were larger than plants of thecultivar HWD Ventura.

2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger flower umbels and moreflowers per umbel than plants of the cultivar HWD Ventura.

3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had semi-double flowers whereasplants of the cultivar HWD Ventura had double flowers.

4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had more rounded flowers than plantsof the cultivar HWD Ventura.

5. Flower color of plants of the new Zonal Geranium was brighter redthan flower color of plants of the cultivar HWD Ventura.

6. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had shorter peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar HWD Ventura.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprisesa side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duevidared’grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Duevidared has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown in 10.5-cm containers. Plants were about eight weeksfrom unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanicaldescription were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Duevidared,(Known as Z98-2476-04 during testing).

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identifiedas F-21-019, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified asF-05-018, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded planthabit; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Basal branching, aboutthree lateral branches per plant.

Plant height, from soil level to top of umbels.—About 24 cm.

Plant width.—About 23 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 6 cm. Internode length: About 1 cm.Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About six. Length: About 7.1 cm. Width: About 8.7cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate.Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137B. Young foliage, lower surface:138B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expandedfoliage, lower surface: 138B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.Zonation pattern: Very faint. Width: About 3 cm. Color: Slightly darkerthan 137A. Petiole: Length: About 7.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm. Color,upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement.—Bright red-colored semi-double flowers arranged inrounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbelsdisplayed above and beyond the foliage on peduncles. Flowers rounded inform. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have aboutfive open and developing umbels with about 35 flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring until the autumn.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 7.5 cm. Diameter: About 14 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.4 cm. Depth (height): About 1.7 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 144A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width:About 2 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire; sinuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Whenopening and fully opened, upper surface: 42A to 45B. When opening andfully opened, lower surface: 43C.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About three or four. Length: About 2.7cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Entire; sinuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth.Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 42A to 45B. Whenopening and fully opened, lower surface: 43C.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single whorl. Length:About 1.1 cm. Width: About 2.3 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex:Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth;glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10.9 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm.Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth;glabrous. Color: 144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3.8 cm. Diameter: About1 mm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 59B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: About ten.Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 47B.Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 25A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantityper flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,star-shaped. Stigma color: 46A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color:59B. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to ZonalGeraniums.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have beenobserved to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plantnamed ‘Duevidared’, as herein illustrated and described.